Tag Archives: Professional Development

5 Lessons from Harry Potter to Deal with an Advisor who is Like Voldemort

Mattu, 2012

Mattu, 2011

So what do you do if your advisor is as evil as Voldemort?

Graduate school is full of enough challenges and hoops to deal with a toxic advisor. But just as Harry Potter was able to overcome Voldemort, you can graduate with your degree, if you think about the allies that Harry developed over the course of the series. These allies all taught him something important, and you can too by discovering people who are like them in your life.

1)     Get Hermione on your side – You need a smart peer on your side who can give you feedback on drafts of your proposal, or challenge you with tough questions before your defense. You want someone who can give you truly constructive criticism, without being mean about it.

2)     Find Ron – Everyone needs a best friend, with whom you can commiserate after a tough test or a difficult meeting with your advisor. Social support is so important on the journey to earning your degree! Find someone whom you trust.

El-Ghoroury, 2012

El-Ghoroury, 2012

3)     Seek Dumbledore – As the headmaster of Hogwarts, Dumbledore often went out of his way to protect Harry (even if Harry didn’t know it). It helps to have an ally among the faculty in your department, particularly someone with some power, such as the department chair or the director of training. An ally who is well connected can be a buffer for you in your interactions with your advisor, particularly on committees.

4)     Discover Remus Lupin – While Remus Lupin was Harry’s teacher for one year, the most important thing he taught Harry (the “expect patronus” spell) was something he taught outside of class. Find a mentor who is not at your school who can be a source of support as well as instruction. Perhaps you can find a mentor from your undergraduate institution, or from a conference.

5)     Reach out to Sirius Black – Although his parents were deceased, Harry had a godfather, Sirius, who played an important role of loving Harry. Reach out to your parents or family for support in grad school, even if all they do is empathize with you and tell you it will get better.

If you can find these types of allies, you will be well on your way to handling a tough advisor.

There is just one last question to consider: Is your advisor Voldemort, or is he really Snape?

El-Ghoroury, 2012

El-Ghoroury, 2012

In the books, Harry is convinced that Snape is a bad guy and out to get him, but he learns in the final book that Snape had been protecting him the whole time he was at Hogwarts. Is your advisor really trying to harm you, or are the challenges he’s giving you merely lessons to make you a stronger psychologist?

If these allies don’t help, you may need to learn some spells. Expelliarmus!

 

Three Reasons Why Psychologists Belong in Healthcare Settings

By David Martin, PhD, ABPP (Senior Director, APA Office on AIDS)

For most of my early career as a psychologist, I felt like most professional psychologists IHIV Specialist Cover knew outside my healthcare setting thought what I did wasn’t psychology because (a) it wasn’t traditional psychotherapy, (b) my approach was behavioral, and (c) I was working in a healthcare setting practicing clinical health psychology.

The December 2013 issue of the HIV Specialist provides a great example of why psychologists belong in healthcare settings and how they can and should retain their identity as psychologists even if they aren’t engaging in traditional psychotherapy. While the issue was written for healthcare professionals in HIV care, I encourage you as graduate students in psychology to read it because:

  1. It shows an understanding that mental and physical health are inseparable. It represents an effort to inform (primarily) non-psychologist healthcare providers of the important roles that psychology can and should play in the management of HIV disease, as well as in education and prevention.
  2. It highlights the unique expertise of psychologists in the healthcare setting. Psychologists working in HIV/AIDS have essential skills that benefit the sick. WeHealthcare have expertise extending well beyond traditional psychotherapy into areas such as pain management, treatment adherence, rehabilitation, and other important facets of treatment. Although the articles were intended for non-psychologist healthcare providers, if you think you may be interested in work in HIV/AIDS, these articles may provide you with an overview of some of the issues and help provide additional guidance as you move forward in your education and training.
  3. It shows that psychologists are part of integrated healthcare’s future. Last year, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) reported data demonstrating the vital importance of integrated care in engaging and retaining people with HIV/AIDS in care. The issue illustrates implicitly how psychology can be useful in the context of healthcare in general, highlighting psychology’s role in the provision of integrated care. Many of the issues confronting people with HIV/AIDS mirror those of individuals facing other health challenges, and psychology can and should play a vital role in their management as well. Integrated healthcare is coming; these articles provide an illustration of what integrated healthcare can look like when psychology is included in the mix.

Check out these resources to learn more about psychology’s role in integrated healthcare:

Apply for an APA Graduate Student Public Interest Policy Internship

The American Psychological Association’s Public Interest Government Relations Office (PI-GRO) is seeking two graduate student interns for the 2014-2015 academic year.  Graduate student interns will gain first-hand knowledge of the ways in which psychological research can inform public policy and the roles psychology can play in its formulation and implementation. The graduate student intern will spend one year working with PI-GRO staff to influence legislative and regulatory activities impacting populations and issues, such as: aging; children, youth, and families; disabilities; ethnic minorities; individuals with HIV/AIDS; lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender persons; socioeconomic status; women; as well as social concerns (e.g. media; or trauma, violence, and abuse). The intern’s activities include participating in legislative and advocacy work, such as assisting in the preparation of testimony and briefing papers and attending congressional hearings and coalition meetings.  Applications are due on March 21, 2014.

 

Click here for more information on the internship and application materials please visit:

These students got authorship and a trip to Hawaii. What are you waiting for?

The saying goes that there is no such thing as a free lunch. Correct! For this prize, write a compelling ethics paper and then you can treat yourself to many delicious lunches.

APAGS and the APA Ethics Committee have teamed up for the 13th time to award a prize to a graduate student whose winning paper successfully examines psychology and ethics.  Applications are due January 3rd.

If you win, you are entitled to

  • $1,000
  • A round trip ticket to our 2014 Convention in Washington, D.C.
    • with free registration
    • three night of hotel accommodations
    • a session to present your paper and receive your award
  • The chance to get your work published in a peer-reviewed journal

Angela Haeny, M.A. from the University of Missouri and Christine Paprocki, M.A. from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill were APA’s 2013 winners. Angela wrote a paper on Ethical considerations for psychologists taking a public stance on controversial issues, and Christine wrote on Trainee perspectives on tensions between religious beliefs and affirming treatment of LGBT clients (follow the links to their articles in Ethics and Behavior).

From L-R: Dr. Nabil El-Ghoroury, head of APAGS, stands with winners Ms. Angela Haeny and Ms. Christine Paprocki, and Dr. Steven Behnke, head of the Ethics Office, on the balcony of the APAGS Suite in Honolulu, Hawaii. (Source: APAGS).

From L-R: Dr. Nabil El-Ghoroury, head of APAGS; winners Ms. Angela Haeny and Ms. Christine Paprocki; and Dr. Stephen Behnke, head of the APA Ethics Office. On the balcony of the APAGS Convention Suite in Honolulu, Hawaii. (Source: APAGS).

For an inside track on why you should apply, I spoke recently with Angela and Christine.

Eddy:  Please tell me, how did you arrive at your topics?

Angela:  I have personal interest in being involved in controversial issues and wondered what that might look like as a psychologist in training.

Christine:  My paper dealt with the ethical implications of “values conflicts” in which psychologists or trainees feel that their own beliefs would prevent them from working with a certain type of patient. I wanted to further explore the tricky ethical dilemmas that arise when this occurs within a training context.

Eddy:  What benefits—obvious or not-so-obvious—did you get from being involved in this process?

Christine:  It was a great way to delve into the details of a thorny ethical issue and write a more theoretical piece—as graduate students, we get much more training in research-oriented writing, so this was a wonderful growth experience! Also, I had a fantastic time at the APA convention. I had never been to this conference before, and was really impressed by the breadth and diversity of topics explored—it also didn’t hurt that it was in Honolulu! [Ed. note: We hope D.C. isn’t too shabby an alternative for 2014 attendees.]

Angela:  Writing the ethics paper caused me to become more intimate with the Ethic’s Code and to think more deeply about ethical issues and considerations for psychologists taking a public stance on controversial issues.

Eddy:  What advice would you have for 2014 applicants?

Angela:  Choose a topic that interests you and have fun writing the paper! This is a great opportunity for you to showcase your knowledge on the APA Ethic’s Code and raise an issue that is important to you.

Christine: Definitely apply if you are thinking about it—it is an excellent way to engage more deeply with an important ethical issue affecting our field. As with any writing submission, have plenty of people read it and offer suggestions. Write about something that you feel passionately about and that really sparks your interest.

Consider working on your application over Winter Break!

5 Reasons to Submit a Proposal to APAGS for APA Convention

1) Free Registration! What graduate student doesn’t appreciate a freebie? APA will waive your Convention registration fee ($70) if you serve as a first author on a program or poster at APA Convention, are an APAGS member, and list APAGS member (not student affiliate) on your proposals. Read the APAGS FAQ for more details.

2) Looks great on a CV! Presenting at APA Convention can be an impressive addition to your curriculum vitae. Where else do you get a chance to present your work and ideas to a national audience?

3) Travel to a new city.  APA Convention is hosted in various cities in the U.S. and Canada each year. In 2014, Convention will be held in Washington, D.C. Never been to the nation’s capital? D.C. comes alive in the summertime! Come spend your days hearing about what’s new in the field of psychology and your evenings exploring historical monuments or one of the more than two dozen free museums D.C. has to offer.  APAGS will even help full your schedule as we host our must-attend annual social event one evening.

APAGS 2012_

APAGS 2012

4) Meet your psychology idol! You never know who you might meet at Convention! Students attending the 2012 APA Convention in Orlando, Florida got a chance to meet and take pictures with Dr. Philip Zimbardo, of Stanford Prison Experiment fame. A number of eminent psychologists attend APA Convention each year. Submit your proposal to APAGS and come to DC and see what famous psychologists you meet!

5) Network with other students and psychologists! APA and APAGS provide students with numerous opportunities to network at Convention. From social events, to speed mentoring, to meet-and-greets with researchers and training directors, there are plenty of activities to help you expand your circle.

If we’ve convinced you to apply and you’re already wondering how to afford it, have a look at our strategies to save for helpful tips on how to fund your trip to Convention. The deadline to submit a Convention submission is December 2, 2013.

Have any great Convention stories or tips you’d like to share? Please consider submitting a guest post to the gradPSYCH Blog!